


Cranberries and Lime

by OwlosaurusRex



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Real World, Drugs, I'll add more as I go, M/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-03-17 05:16:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3516761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwlosaurusRex/pseuds/OwlosaurusRex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hella cliche Joseb where they go undercover as a gay couple. It is 500% just for the fan service and the plot is probably lacking but hey, it's fun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4/13/15  
> I went through and edited some things~  
> Though this will forever be a rough draft

"Have you ever been to a gay bar?"

Sebastian choked on the coffee he'd been drinking and turned away from the documents on his desk.

"Excuse me?" Joseph said, raising his voice over Sebastian's spluttering.

Juli cast Sebastian a passing glance before continuing.

"A gay bar. We think we've tracked down the drug dealers who have been assaulting gay couples on the South side." Kidman stood in the doorway, one hand on her hip and the other holding a number of thick file folders. "But we don't have any solid evidence against them."

"Them?" Sebastian managed to clear his throat enough to speak and frowned at the thought of multiple assailants.

Kidman stepped further into the room and tossed one of the folders onto Sebastian's desk.

"Yes, two of them. A couple of sorts, or maybe just business partners, we aren't entirely sure, but we have their names and faces."

Sebastian flipped the file open and scanned the two profiles within. He heard the scrape of Joseph's office chair across the room and spread the documents out so his partner could see them when he walked over. Andre Massey and Marlo Klein.

"A couple of middle-aged men selling some jacked up X and assaulting their customers?" Sebastian shook his head and tried another drink of coffee. "Sounds pretty sloppy to me. They aren't putting much effort into keeping it under-wraps, though I guess most victims don't want to come out and admit to taking Ecstasy and fooling around with gay couples." Sebastian shrugged and watched Joseph pick up one of the profiles neatly paper clipped together.

Joseph was quiet as he scanned the information.

"So, you want someone to go in and find incriminating evidence?" Joseph asked without looking up, running a gloved finger down the document as he picked up the gist of the situation.

Sebastian frowned, looking from Joseph to Kidman and shaking his head before the junior detective could even answer. She ignored him.

"Yes. It should be simple undercover work since the suspects are so "sloppy", and we wouldn't require much to indict them, just proof of their dealing would be enough to warrant an arrest."

Joseph nodded slowly but Sebastian sighed.

"This sounds like a job for narcotics, why don't they pick it up?" Sebastian asked and pushed the other profile towards Joseph so he could read it.

Kidman seemed amused, maybe, if that were possible. She tilted her head at Sebastian's reaction.

"Narcotics have their hands full since the major drug bust last month and since you two were handling one of the assault cases related to this, they handed it over to you."

Joseph finally looked up with a small frown. "They want both of us to go in undercover?" Joseph placed the profiles back in their folder and eyed the other files in Kidman's hands.

"Exactly. They like to target couples."

Sebastian shook his head again. He'd participated in plenty of undercover operations in his day with a number of different circumstances and personas but a gay couple was certainly new.

"So, what do you say?" Kidman looked between them expectantly and Sebastian sighed.

"We don't have a choice, do we?"

"No." Kidman dropped the remaining files on Sebastian's desk. "Here are your aliases and a run down of the operation. They plan on sending you out this weekend."

Joseph looked up from grabbing his respective file. "So soon? That only leaves us a couple days to prepare." He seemed more appalled at the prospect of a poor performance than he did about the role they'd be playing.

Sebastian leaned back in his chair and dragged his folder across his desk. He was used to having things thrown at them last minute and knew better than to get too upset about the details. At least they would be getting it over with quickly.

Kidman shrugged. "It's what they decided. Now, I've got to get back to work." She said and turned to leave without another word.

Joseph watched her go, leaving them with the awkward reality of their situation. Sebastian flipped through the pages in his file carelessly and snorted in amusement. His alias was some office worker at an insurance agency, of all things, though it seemed like Mr. Sebastian Williams was well off at least.

Joseph stirred awkwardly and Sebastian looked up at him. "What is it? They give you some weird job or something?"

Joseph was rubbing at his eyes beneath his glasses and shook his head.

"No, I'm an elementary school teacher, it's just...the detail they put into these aliases..." Joseph frowned at one page and then another before flipping it closed.

"Huh?" Sebastian looked down at the information more closely. Occupation, age, where he grew up and family info--

"The fuck?"

Joseph cast him a quick glance before turning away.

"Yeah, I know. But it seems that these suspects are pretty chatty and personable. I guess it seems likely that they might ask about...ah...this sort of thing." Joseph cleared his throat a bit and sat back down at his desk. "Well, it's not too odd to ask about first dates and proposals, I suppose. And honeymoons might not be too personal..."

Sebastian glared down at the page. "Yeah, sure, but why do I have to be the receiver?" He huffed in disbelief and tossed the file aside irritably.

Joseph didn't respond and seemed to be trying to distract himself with work on his computer.

"It doesn't seem realistic to me." Sebastian continued to grumble and patted at his pockets for his flask. If ever there was a time for a drink...

Joseph ducked his head to his work and Sebastian dropped the subject. He figured this case might make things a bit awkward for a while given the sorts of details they'd have to remember and what they might have to do when they got there. Great. Sebastian took a quick swig and sighed. It would be over before he knew it, he told himself. Just another case like any other.

 

* * *

Okay, maybe this was a little more in-depth than they had originally thought. They were making it as authentic and believable as possible right down to the single bed hotel room. The couple they were after were known to be deceptively friendly and they didn't want to risk any obvious indicators that they weren't, in fact, a married gay couple.

Sebastian sighed and lit up another cigarette while they waited in the small hotel room. It had already gotten dark outside and they would be heading out as soon as they got word from their look out. They had unmarked cars stationed at a few of the couple's usual haunts and once they'd been spotted Sebastian and Joseph's acting skills would be put to the test.

Sebastian glanced down at the paper in his lap again, going over a few last minute notes while Joseph got ready in the bathroom.

"Seb, you really shouldn't smoke in here." Joseph's voice was nearly lost in the clatter of something falling in the sink. Sebastian glanced towards the bathroom and sighed again.

"It's a smoking room, it won't be a problem. Besides, Sebastian Williams smokes so I can too,"

He said and could hear Joseph's frustrated sigh from the bathroom. Sebastian took another deep drag before carefully stamping out his cigarette and saving it for later. "What's taking you so long in there, anyway?" He set the ashtray on the bedside table and got to his feet. It was obvious that a lot of consideration had been taken in making these aliases since Sebastian Williams was not only a smoker but exceedingly casual so he got away with wearing a simple dark button down and jeans without a problem. They'd originally planned on making him wear glasses but it would have been too much of a hassle. Either way, he was made to shave up and clean up and maybe it did feel a little refreshing to comb his hair back nicely and wear new clothes for a little while. He'd been lucky with his persona--or perhaps they foresaw that he wouldn't be too compliant with something too far out of his comfort zone-- but Joseph on the other hand...

Sebastian stepped around the bed and to the bathroom, leaning his shoulder against the door-frame and arching a brow at Joseph leaning up close to the mirror. His partner was struggling with a contact lens, his face set with determination though his eyelids fluttered and he seemed to have trouble seeing what he was doing.

"Can I help at all?" Sebastian tilted his head and tried to meet Joseph's gaze in the mirror though it was questionable whether or not Joseph could see him.

"No, no, I've got it." Joseph mumbled and bit his lip as he tried to settle the lens on his eye. Sebastian couldn't watch for long (that sort of thing gave him the heebie jeebies) and instead took the time to size up his new husband of...ten years, was it? Something like that.

Where Sebastian more or less looked the same, Joseph was a whole new person. He wore a gray v-neck of all things and his hair wasn't slicked back like it usually was and--were those skinny jeans? Oh, God.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Sebastian returned his gaze to the mirror where he could see Joseph blinking rapidly and wiping under his eye.

"What do you mean?" Joseph mumbled distractedly and squinted against the initial discomfort of his contacts.

Sebastian glanced down and picked up the small bottle of eye drops on the other side of the sink, offering them to him.

"Please tell me those aren't _your_ clothes," Sebastian said and Joseph frowned as he turned to him and took the eye drops.

"No, they're not." He huffed and glanced down at himself. "They said my usual clothes were too dressy, so," he shrugged  and went to run his fingers through his hair out of habit but caught himself. "Mr. Williams is a little more casual than I am, I guess."

"And a lot more gay." Sebastian couldn't help but point out and Joseph chuckled.

"That too..." Joseph turned to look at him again and Sebastian felt odd about it. His younger partner was so different like this and he couldn't say that he liked it.

"Well, good to see that you clean up just as everyone expected," Joseph said and pocketed the eye drops, making sure everything was as it should be.

"Yeah..." Sebastian glance down a moment, thought about the last time he'd taken real consideration into how he looked and shrugged.

"Whatever. Got your recorder?" Sebastian pushed off the door-frame and patted his breast pocket where a small device was clipped inside.

"Of course. Though these pants really don't have much for pockets, and it will probably be too loud in there to get clear audio. I wonder if it would be better to lure them out? Or maybe set up another meeting at a later date." Joseph mused, turning out the bathroom lights and following Sebastian back into the room.

"Yeah, maybe. We'll just play it safe for now, which means no wandering off and no leaving your drinks unattended." Sebastian settled Joseph in a serious stare and Joseph almost looked offended.

"Believe it or not, I _have_ been to a club before, Seb. I know how it works." Joseph frowned and stepped over to the window so he could look out at the lights of the city.

"Yeah..." Sebastian went to sit back down on the bed but paused, remembering something. He stepped over to Joseph, glanced out the window over his partner's shoulder and nudged his arm. "Here. They told me to give this to you. Have to stay consistent, though I don't see why they couldn't have given it to you themselves. I feel like they're really getting a kick out of all of this." Sebastian grumbled and dropped the silver ring into Joseph's hand when he turned around. Joseph stared at it a few moments before looking up at him again.

"Put it on. We're married, remember?" Sebastian frowned at the ring and turned away while Joseph turned the silver over between his fingers and slid it on slowly.

"Right," Joseph said and hovered by the window a few moments longer before joining his _husband_ where he was sitting at the foot of the bed. "You've read my profile, right?"

"Yeah, I did. They didn't have to make you so clingy, though." Sebastian grumbled more and more, and looked up when his phone rang. He leaned over the bed to snatch it up off the nightstand.

"Yeah? All right....five minutes tops....right." The conversation was short and Sebastian tucked his phone into his pocket when he'd finished.

"They were spotted at some club Spiral or something on 23rd street. Andre's wearing red pants so he shouldn't be too hard to find but Marlo's pretty inconspicuous. We're better off catching Andre's attention, then."

Sebastian checked for the wallet in his back pocket and headed for the door. "Let's go, I'll catch us a cab."

Joseph hurried along behind him and tried not to feel awkward in his interesting attire.

Sebastian glanced at him during their quiet elevator ride and reached out an arm to curl over his shoulders.

"Ease up." He mumbled to him and they headed out of the hotel together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter lengths are going to be vastly different, so this one is quite a bit longer than the first. Oops.
> 
> 4/13/15  
> Did some editing though I will probably work on it some more in the future because I'm not happy with the dance sequence and such.

One step in the door and Sebastian remembered why he never liked clubs. The music was loud enough to shake the floor and the lights were already giving him a headache not to mention the interesting array of clientele. That man was not wearing a shirt and Sebastian was fairly certain that once you cut your jeans _that_ short they couldn't be considered pants anymore. He was totally out of his element and it showed.

Joseph touched his arm and leaned in close to speak to him. "Let's find a table, keep our eyes open." He nearly shouted over the thrumming music and loud chatter of people and Sebastian only nodded in response and let Joseph hug his arm close lest they get separated.

Wading through the crowd was an experience and by the time they'd reached the tables beyond the dancefloor Sebastian was second-guessing his choice of clothes. It was damn hot in there.

Each table they came across seemed occupied by drunk or tired patrons and a few of the booths were in use in a much different manner. Sebastian gave Joseph's hand on his arm a squeeze and nodded toward the bar where a blazing pair of red jeans stood out among the tattered clothes and various states of undress.

"What do you want to drink?" Sebastian ducked his head, felt Joseph's breath against his cheek and the awkwardness in his stance.

"Uh...I don't drink much..." Joseph mumbled and Sebastian barely caught it.

"Some sort of martini, then."  Sebastian decided and started leading them around the clumps of people clotting up the bar. He tried to get as close to Andre red-pants as possible, fully aware of the stares they were getting and how much they stood out in the energetic crowd. Sebastian tapped the bar when he managed to reach it. His first instinct was to go hard and he spotted a brand of whiskey he particularly liked but decided to take a slightly safer route. He knew Andre had noticed them and made a point of looking indecisive when the bartender got to him.

"Hm...we'll have a Manhattan and..." He thought a moment, groping for the first fruity drink that came to mind. "A Cosmo."

Joseph had managed to squeeze up beside him now and Sebastian made a show of whispering in his ear.

"I hope you don't mind cranberry juice."

Joseph arched a brow at him curiously.

"I don't mind it. What did you get me?" He looked from his partner to the bartender before glancing at Andre down the bar. Sebastian frowned when Joseph looked down quickly in a way that might have seemed shy out of context. He turned his head and nodded at the man, even going so far as to manage a smile of sorts. Andre took this as an invitation and slid closer along the bar.

"Hey there, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you two seem a little nervous." Andre looked up when a bright green drink was set in front of him. It smelled strongly of apples.

"Don't come here often, huh?"

Sebastian shrugged but Joseph picked up the conversation.

"Is it _that_ obvious?" He was really looking shy now and he fiddled with Sebastian's sleeve. "We don't really get out much. Heard about this place and thought why not, you know?"

Sebastian's Manhattan was brought over and he drew it closer to him while Andre looked him over. He noticed their rings and smiled broadly.

"Oh, how sweet! A date night, then? Must be feeling pretty adventurous to come out here. This place is more of a free-wheeling bachelor spot, you know. But the drinks are good and there's no reason you can't have a little fun, right?"

He and Joseph shared a laugh and Sebastian fiddled with the cherry in his drink.

"Yeah, well, this one--" Sebastian nodded at Joseph "wanted something exciting. I told him we didn't need to go too far for something like that but," he shrugged and flashed Joseph a teasing smirk, quickly hiding it in his drink.

Andre was eating it all up, from Sebastian's obvious stiffness to Joseph's honestly flustered reaction to the joke.

"That's too precious. Well you came to the right place if excitement is what you're looking for." Andre assured them and Sebastian laid some bills on the counter when Joseph's Cosmo was brought out.

"Careful." He muttered without fully realizing it, wondering if maybe he should have ordered something with even less alcohol in it, though Joseph looked pleasantly surprised when he took a sip.

"Wow, this is actually pretty good."

Andre looked up from his martini in surprise.

"Is this your first cosmopolitan?" He looked shocked.

"We really don't get out much." Sebastian mumbled into his drink as if he'd been trying to go out for ages.

Joseph lifted a hand out of habit as if to fix his glasses but caught himself and itched at his nose instead.

"I don't drink much," he said as if it were some embarrassing secret. "I don't hold my liquor well so I tend to avoid it."

Andre hummed sympathetically.

"Poor thing, well what better way to start off an exciting night, then, right? A little alcohol a little dancing, you'll have plenty of fun, trust me."

Joseph smiled at him thankfully and Sebastian glanced back towards the tables. Andre followed his gaze and smiled all the wider.

"Looking for a seat?"

"Yeah, we were thinking of sitting and drinking a little first but it looks pretty crowded." Sebastian had to raise his voice a bit more as a new song thumped to life with a resounding cheer from the crowd.

Andre shook his head. "You have to fight tooth and nail for a table in this place." He smiled into his drink. "But my man and I have a booth in back if you want to settle in."

Sebastian looked down at him in mild surprise. "Are you sure? We don't want to butt in."

Joseph, who had been busy sipping away at his drink, spoke up. "Seb, it might be nice to make some new friends. They're young, they know how to have fun."

Sebastian huffed and flashed him a small glare. "You say that like we're old. 33 is not old."

"Maybe not, but 38..." The mischief in Joseph's eyes was peculiar and dissolved Sebastian's irritable objection before he could speak it. He rolled his eyes instead and Andre seemed to find their playful bickering far too amusing.

"It won't be a problem at all! Don't worry about it." He waved his hand dismissively and stepped away from the bar. "Marlo is going to love you." He assured them and started off back towards the booths. Sebastian snagged his drink and made sure Joseph got his before following after their target.

He flashed Joseph a curious glance but didn't say anything.

The booth Andre led them to was in the very back of the club allowing for some privacy and slightly better socializing conditions. At least Sebastian didn't have to look at all of the flashing lights from here. The table was relatively large, as most of the booths were, and Sebastian questioned how sanitary it was but didn't let that bother him too much. Andre stopped at the table and leaned down to speak with the blond man already sitting there. Marlo wasn't much older than Andre, 28 maybe? Sebastian didn't quite remember but he did recall his interesting background check. Marlo had been involved in more than one domestic dispute by the age of 18, one of which was with his own brother and resulted in some considerable hospital bills, though charges had never been filed against him and he had slipped through the system.

Where Andre was dark and slim with a decidedly pleasant outward appearance, Marlo was thicker and his shoulders strained the seams of his shirt. Andre settled down beside his pale companion and waved excitedly for his new friends to join them.

"Marlo, look, I made some new friends. Aren't they precious? Married, too." Andre paused as Sebastian slid onto the bench seat first and Joseph sat beside him.

"Oh, let me introduce us. I'm Andre and this is Marlo. Don't worry, he doesn't bite, he's just a little quiet." Andre tacked on the second bit as if Marlo couldn't hear him and Marlo smirked.

"It's nice to meet you, Andre. It's very nice of you to invite us over, I don't think we would last long in that sort of crowd." Joseph looked out at the dancers pulsing in waves along with the green and blue lights.

Andre chuckled and sipped at his drink. "They're new to the club scene, decided to come out for a little excitement," Andre said, leaning against Marlo and reaching out to fix his collar. Marlo eyed them a moment before smiling.

"Is that so? How brave of you." Marlo chuckled to himself, nursing a beer bottle in his hands.

"What were your names again?" He sounded casual, looked relaxed enough, but Sebastian felt something off about him. Especially when he looked at Joseph.

"Oh, I'm Joseph and this is my husband, Sebastian."

Marlo smiled and nodded. "Married." He sighed the word. "Isn't that something? For how long, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Hm, ten years now?" Sebastian spoke up as he plucked the cherry from his drink and slowly spun it by its stem.

"Ten years. Jesus, we're getting old, Seb."

Sebastian flashed Joseph another glare and nudged him with his shoulder, nearly making Joseph spill his drink. He hid his smirk by popping the cherry in his mouth.

Andre laughed heartily at them and went on to ask Joseph a number of questions about married life and such while Sebastian sipped at his drink and looked around. He could feel Marlo staring at him but took his time in meeting his gaze. He arched a brow at the burly man and Marlo smiled.

"So, an insurance agency, huh? Sounds less than exciting," Marlo said, picking up tidbits from Andre and Joseph's conversation. He hadn't taken a drink since they sat down.

"Far from it." Sebastian snorted and propped an elbow on the table. "But, you know, it pays the bills and lets us live how we want so I can't complain." He lifted a shoulder and Marlo nodded.

"With a job like that I can understand why you might want some excitement," Marlo continued and Sebastian caught him staring at Joseph again. There was something about that look that just made him feel...frustrated.

Sebastian shifted in his seat and when that didn't win a reaction from Joseph, who was fully absorbed in Andre's chatter and the taste of cranberries, he moved his hand under the table. Sebastian had meant to touch Joseph's knee but fell a little short and he could feel Joseph twitch a little under his touch. Joseph recovered quickly but flashed Sebastian a questioning look nonetheless. Sebastian didn't like how comfortable Joseph was getting and how quickly he was drinking. He should have ordered him something lighter after all.

Sebastian hadn't been listening too closely to Joseph's conversation but Andre's mention of the bedroom had Sebastian and Joseph both looking at him with a certain dose of discomfort. Andre laughed at their apparent shyness.

"Ah, maybe you two are a little old fashioned, maybe a little shy about that sort of thing?"

Sebastian unintentionally squeezed at Joseph's leg and Joseph slipped a hand down to rest on his.

"Well, maybe not "old fashioned", really, but..." He paused as he gently pried his partner's hand off his leg and let Sebastian bring it back into his own lap. "Sebastian isn't too keen on PDA and talking about this sort of thing sort of falls under that category." Joseph flashed him an apologetic expression and Sebastian looked away.

"Yeah...I'd rather not talk about it," Sebastian mumbled and Andre grinned devilishly, leaning over the table to whisper loudly at Joseph.

"Does he have a small dick, is that it?"

Joseph stared at him in mild shock. "Oh, uh, no that's not it--" he could feel Sebastian's frustrated glare and his heavy sigh was warning enough to change the subject. "He's just a little private about these things, you know. He grew up in a Catholic family, so I guess it's hard to shake some of those things." Joseph tried to smooth over the subject as quickly as possible though it was obvious that the couple across from them was more than a little amused.

"But, you know, besides all of that, the honeymoon was very sweet," he offered, his voice trailing away as the heavy music slowed and settled. Joseph finished his drink in one slow gulp, glancing out at the dancers and watching them pulse under the purple speckled lights. Sebastian eyed him a moment, watching a stray thread of light slither over his flushed face and down to the v of his shirt.

"Do you like this song?" Andre asked and Sebastian looked up in time to catch his sly smirk before the man turned his attention back to Joseph.

"Huh, me?" Joseph looked back at him and seemed a little embarrassed. "I've never heard it before." He admitted and Andre seemed shocked.

"You poor boy. You don't go out drinking and you don't listen to dance music? You really do need some excitement." Andre flashed Sebastian a glare as if it were his fault for not taking proper care of his man, and Sebastian just frowned in general confusion.

"It's not the kind of music I usually listen to, you know. But it is pretty catchy." Joseph glanced out at the dancers again and Andre stood up abruptly.

"Hey, let's dance," he said and reached out to tug at Joseph's arm.

"What?" Joseph looked up at him in surprise, already shaking his head. "Oh, no, I can't dance at all, really." He tried to look to Sebastian for help but Andre was persistent.

"Don't worry about it! It will be fun and that's what this is all about, right?" He gave Joseph another tug and Joseph sighed, reluctantly rising from his seat and tugging at his shirt nervously.

"Right..." He relented and let Andre drag him away into the crowd.

Sebastian kept a close eye on them, following Andre's red pants through the mob and narrowing his eyes against the lights.

"So," Marlo's voice sneaked up on him and Sebastian glanced back at him as if he'd forgotten he was even there. "Seems like you're a little tense, huh? Married life getting a little dull?"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at him, resting one arm on the table and the other on the back of the booth seat.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sebastian frowned when he came off more defensive than he'd meant to but Marlo seemed to find it amusing.

"You two are a little stiff. Seems like you don't spend enough time together," Marlo observed and finally took a small drink of his beer as if he were savoring it for some reason.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." Okay now he was getting _really_ defensive. Sebastian looked back out at the crowd and lifted his hand from the table to rub at the back of his neck.

Marlo just looked at him through the haze of heat, music, and alcohol. Sebastian found Joseph and Andre in a gap in the crowd and couldn't help a small chuckle at Joseph's awkward dancing. He pondered Marlo's comment a moment.

"Well, maybe it is a little stiff," he admitted, casting Marlo a sideways glance. "I guess that's why we're here in the first place, to try something different." Sebastian dropped his hand to the table again and reached for his nearly empty glass. He'd been holding back on his drinking, especially when he saw how quickly it was hitting Joseph. At least one of them had to be on their toes. "I don't think our marriage is in trouble or anything like that, but..." He frowned, not really wanting to get into the whole sex conversation. He didn't like the images it brought to mind. "A little excitement is good every once in a while."

Marlo made a low sound of understanding and they both grew quiet as they followed those garish red pants through the pulsating dancers.

"How long did you say you two were sticking around?"

Sebastian turned around completely to face Marlo this time, confident that Andre wasn't about to run off with his partner.

"Just for a few days. We're taking Monday off so we can have a little "vacation" of sorts." Sebastian shrugged and tossed back the last of his drink with a small hum at the slight burn of whiskey.

"Ahh, well, I know a few different places that are a bit quieter and have a slower pace that you guys might appreciate. Maybe we could show you two around."

Sebastian looked down at his glass and nudged it over next to Joseph's. He had to play his cards carefully here, playing just enough to get them to offer up the drugs without being too transparent or too low key. If they thought he and Joseph were too flighty they might not offer it at all. Sebastian nodded slowly.

"You know, I think that's a good idea. Joseph really seems to like this sort of thing more than I thought he would." Sebastian smiled to himself a little. "It's good for him to loosen up a bit."

Sebastian looked up when Marlo chuckled and frowned when he found the man looking past him.

"He definitely looks like he's having fun," Marlo said and Sebastian turned back to the dancers and found Andre teaching Joseph all sorts of things he shouldn't be.

"Goddamnit," Sebastian grumbled under his breath and Marlo laughed. Joseph only had one drink, there was no way that single Cosmo was enough to make him loopy, and yet there he was acting a fool on the dance floor.

"Don't worry, Andre's harmless but he doesn't have many boundaries." Marlo got up from his seat and Sebastian cast him a questioning glance.

"We'd better go split them up before they cause a scene." Marlo flashed him a smile before walking off and leaving him to get out of his seat and stare awkwardly. He really didn't want to get mixed up in all of that "dancing" but leaving Joseph with both of their targets was a terrible idea. He resigned himself to the task at hand and wove his way through the crowd. Marlo had already collected Andre when Sebastian reached them and, well, Sebastian didn't really want to watch what they were doing. He reached out for Joseph's arm and tugged him close.

"Come on Joseph, let's go sit down." Sebastian was practically shouting over the sound of music and people, and Joseph looked at him in confusion. His face was even more flushed now and the lights were bright here, flashing and painting him in all sorts of colors. Sebastian focused on his eyes in a frail attempt at concentration. "Let's go." He gave Joseph's arm another tug but Joseph resisted.

"But Seb, we're dancing." Joseph's voice wasn't quite loud enough and Sebastian had to lean in closer to hear even as the music shifted and dipped, leaving a breathless moment of quiet. They stared at each other and Sebastian frowned. Joseph really was a bad dancer, even with Andre's apparent expertise at his disposal.

Sebastian found himself hesitating despite his better judgement, feeling a heady rush from the buzz of alcohol and lights that made heartbeats quicken and thoughts scatter. Why did Joseph look so excited? They were on the job, undercover and dealing with drug dealers, this was no time for tipsy dancing. Sebastian looked away in frustration.

"You're not going to make him dance by himself, are you?" Andre patted Sebastian's back as the music picked up again in a slow, rolling tune. "And after I put so much effort into teaching him to dance!" Andre teased and gave him a little shove so that he and Joseph nearly knocked their heads together. Andre's laughter added to the noise and clamor and Sebastian knew that there was no getting out of it. He could be stubborn and reject the whole idea but if he wasn't even willing to dance then why would they think he would accept drugs? He sighed and ultimately shrugged.

"All right, Joseph," he said loud enough for Joseph to hear though he reached out to keep him from doing whatever he had been doing before. "Just stop bouncing around like that."

Joseph looked at him in confusion and Sebastian knew they were watching, they were all watching. Everyone could see them and maybe it was good that Joseph couldn't dance or the both of them would probably scream _straight_ to the high heavens. At least now Joseph would be willing to follow his lead.

Joseph looked to him expectantly and Sebastian drew him close, breathed against his neck and murmured in his ear.

"Just relax." Sebastian brought his hands up Joseph's back and felt him tense up. "Don't think so much, okay?"

Joseph nodded and Sebastian huffed in amusement as they started to sway, slowly at first until Joseph started to move on his own and Sebastian could turn him around.

"Seb?"

"It's all right. We're dancing like you wanted." The crowd pressed in around them and Joseph leaned back against his chest as the music thrummed, and Sebastian could feel it vibrate through them and shake past his ribs, deep inside. He had vague memories of doing something similar ages ago, too far back to think about, and his body knew the routine. His hands brushed down Joseph's arms and he could feel him fidget, seeking Sebastian's guidance and drinking it in greedily.

Joseph reached back for him, touched his leg, his hip, leaned his head back against his shoulder as Sebastian rubbed against him and pressed his hands over that ridiculous v-neck, down to where it rode up a little and the lights could paint Joseph's stomach all sorts of colors; blue, purple, green, white. Joseph's body curved forward in a tense arch against his hands and Sebastian shook his head, dragging him back against him a bit rougher than he'd meant to, maybe. Joseph made a sound but Sebastian couldn't quite hear it and he brushed his nose against Joseph's ear.

He meant to say something. He meant to ask him something, he was sure, but he couldn't manage more than his name. It sounded rough even to his own ears and he could feel Joseph react to it, pushing back into the rocking of his body and lifting a hand to twist his fingers in Sebastian's hair.

"Fuck." Sebastian lost his voice in the curve of Joseph's neck and his fingers touched skin, felt the warmth of Joseph's hips before dipping into the shallow pockets of his jeans. They hugged everything so tightly he could feel it all, the curve of his hip bone and--

"Seb?" Joseph's fingers gripped at his hair and Sebastian lifted his gaze up from where he'd been watching Joseph's body sway and shudder with the music. Joseph looked flushed, confused, _needy_ , and Sebastian had to take in a deep breath to get his mind working again.

"Seb."

"Yeah?" The song was ending, the crowd melting into a new, harder rhythm that left them standing still. Sebastian's hands slid free of Joseph's pockets, took his hips, turned him around and they were  face to face. Joseph's hands were hot against his chest, gripped at his shirt, drew him closer, and the music pounded everything else away.

Sebastian let his fingers slide over the soft denim of Joseph's jeans until he felt the stitching of his back pockets and felt Joseph's body jerk in response. He welcomed the grinding of Joseph's hips with a low groan lost in the craze of the dance floor and found that he couldn't quite get Joseph close enough. His hands slipped into tight back pockets and _gripped_.

"Jesus." Joseph was breathing through his teeth now and his body shuddered when Sebastian moved with him, against him, dragged him into place and urged him on. Further, harder. Sebastian could feel Joseph's hands groping over his chest, catching on buttons and somehow managing to leave them in place, before finding the the nape of his neck in the confusion of heat and heavy breathing. Joseph buried his hands back in dark hair and Sebastian found himself wanting more.

"Joseph--" Sebastian's breath came in short gasps and he was only vaguely aware of the others around them, the damp heat of the dance floor, and the occasional bump of foreign bodies. He only saw Joseph's eyes and the way he bit his lip and--

Joseph tugged at Sebastian's hair, pulled him down and found little resistance when their lips met. The first kiss was quick and breathless and tinged with the taste of cranberries and lime so that when Sebastian pulled away he could taste Joseph on his lips. The music didn't stop, neither did the crowd or the world or anything, really. It all kept going despite this change--this act far beyond the call of duty--and so did they.

Sebastian licked at his lips, felt dizzy in the breathless lights and press of bodies, and met him halfway when Joseph leaned in for more. He could feel Joseph pressing closer, felt the way his fingers twisted in his hair to mirror their tongues, and the music felt so real now. It pounded in his blood even when their bodies lost its rhythm and he became aware that this wasn't dancing. Nothing about this was dancing, and when Joseph dragged his teeth over his bottom lip he had to stop.

"Fuck, Joseph."  Sebastian mumbled into Joseph's mouth and had to force himself to turn his head, curl his arms tightly around Joseph to still the rocking of his hips, and open his eyes to the uncaring crowd around them.

Sebastian could hear Joseph make a low, frustrated sound when they stopped, and felt him breathe heavily against his neck as their bodies stilled and reality churned up the thoughts that had settled at the bottom of their skulls.

Sebastian licked his lips, realized that he liked the taste of cranberries more than he had originally thought and slowly pulled back. They stood close but not quite touching and when he looked at Joseph's face he could see a flush that burned with more than alcohol, and swollen lips that he couldn't stare at for too long.

"Joseph..." Sebastian glanced around them and groaned when he realized that everything that had just happened had been recorded by the small device he could feel pinned to the inside of his pocket. Great.

Sebastian gave his head a little shake and looked back to Joseph who still looked glassy-eyed and breathless.

"We should go back now. Hopefully they're still hanging around," Sebastian offered and tried not to notice the tension between them and the confusion that narrowed Joseph's eyes.

Joseph nodded slowly at his suggestion and wiped at his mouth in a way that bothered Sebastian more than it should. He frowned a little but offered his hand nonetheless and Joseph stared at it a moment before taking it and following him through the crowd on shaky legs.

The walk back to the table was a long one and Sebastian could see Andre's shit-eating grin as soon as they left the dance floor. Well, at least they hadn't left.

Sebastian slowed as they reached the table, cast Joseph a glance, and felt relieved when he saw that Joseph had relaxed a little. Even if his embarrassment was real, at least it wouldn't give them away.

It wasn't until Sebastian had sat down that he realized Marlo was gone. He glanced around but didn't see any sign of him.

"Marlo had to duck out for a while, seems there was a family emergency." Andre actually frowned at that and looked more sincere than Sebastian had thought possible for such a flamboyant character.

"Ah, but he told me to stick around until you two were done dancing." Andre's frown didn't last long and soon he was grinning again. "Hmm, if that's what you two call dancing then I think your search for excitement might be a bit tough. Or easy, if you're into public grinding." He teased and chuckled a little before going on. "Anyway, he said we should exchange numbers. You two are too much fun and if you're going to be sticking around the next couple of days then we can show you around. We know plenty of good places around here." Andre had already scribbled a number on a small napkin and offered Sebastian a pen. "What do you say?"

Sebastian looked at Joseph thoughtfully as if there was any question as to what their answer would be. He shrugged and nodded.

"I don't see why not," Sebastian said and tore the napkin in half so he could scrawl a number down for Andre to use. He was careful to use the number for a disposable phone they'd brought along for this purpose and handed the number over casually.

"Great! We'll call you tomorrow sometime, then." Andre smiled and hopped to his feet. "But for now I should probably meet up with Marlo. You two have a good night, okay?" He winked at them before stepping away. Joseph waved as he left and grew still once he was certain Andre had left the club. They sat silently for a few moments before Joseph took the piece of napkin with the number on it.

"Do you think this is a disposable phone, too?" He asked, and his voice sounded tired yet more normal than before. More down to business.

"I should think so. They might be sloppy but I doubt they would give out any real personal information."

Sebastian drummed his fingers on the table and felt the sudden urge for a shot of whiskey, or maybe just a smoke, either one would pick him up from this odd low he'd settled in.

Neither of them spoke for several long minutes as they waited a reasonable time before they could leave. Leaving right after the suspicious couple wouldn't look right so they'd have to put up with the noise and the lights and the reality of their actions for just a little longer.

Sebastian cleared his throat after five minutes had passed, drawing Joseph out of his thoughts.

"We should get out of here. It's getting late and we need to report before we can settle in for the night."

Joseph nodded and rose to his feet to let Sebastian out of the booth. They shuffled back through the club in silence, yet Sebastian felt an odd sense of relief when Joseph tugged at his sleeve and took his arm to keep from falling behind.

Maybe they could tell themselves it was all acting and when they laid down to go to sleep that night they wouldn't stay up late thinking about their friendship and their careers. Maybe they could chalk it up to alcohol and the hyped up atmosphere of the club. Or, maybe, they would have to think about this seriously. Sebastian had the sinking feeling that no matter what they did or decided, he would still be tasting cranberries come morning.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joseph is a little shit and I am trying to keep my writing classy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is NSFW, yo.
> 
> 4/13/15  
> Edited quite a bit and will continue to do so. I'm not happy with how this is written so bear with me as I change it every once in a while.

The trip back to their hotel was quiet but not nearly as awkward as Sebastian had anticipated. It wasn't as though they had forgotten what had happened, or even that they were denying it but, rather, they just didn't mention it. They walked most of the way, stopping at a party store for a bottle of water and a fresh pack of cigarettes before catching a taxi. It felt so normal despite everything that had happened and Sebastian began to wonder if he was just blowing it out of proportion.

Now, sitting in their room and listening to the rush of the shower from the bathroom behind him, Sebastian sighed through the smoke of his cigarette. He turned the new pack over in his hand, eyed the labels and turned it over again.

Of course he was over-thinking it, why wouldn't he? The whole situation had gone too far and it wasn't Joseph's fault. Joseph hadn't asked for something like that and Sebastian hadn't intended for it to happen, so...

Sebastian huffed and irritably tossed his cigarettes on the bedside table. He wanted to say it didn't really matter and let it go but it wasn't his place to do that. What did Joseph think?

The question hummed in his ears with the hush left behind when the shower stopped and he took a deep drag, coughed, and ground his worries away with the faint glow of ashes. He could hear Joseph moving around and felt the few lingering drops of water from his own shower drip from his hair and chill on his bare shoulders.

It wasn't long before Sebastian heard the door open and he glanced back when Joseph stepped into the room. He was wearing one of his ridiculous pairs of pajama pants (Sebastian wasn't too keen on red plaid) and ruffling his hair with a towel so that drops flung in all directions.

"Feeling better?"

Joseph looked up at the sound of his voice, squinting at him and offering a smile. "Yes, actually. That helped a lot, though my eyes still burn." Joseph rubbed at them and found his glasses at the foot of the bed. Sebastian was glad to see him put them on.

"You should use your eye drops next time." Sebastian offered. " and maybe drink less. I didn't think one drink would get you that tipsy but I guess I'll get you something lighter next time." He stared a moment, watched Joseph shake his head and looked away when he went about drying off.

"I don't handle liquor well at all..." Joseph's voice was little more than a mumble and Sebastian could barely make it out. "But the drink I had was really good." He spoke up, sounding honestly pleased, and Sebastian wanted to agree with him but settled for humming in amusement instead.

Sebastian didn't turn around again, staring at Joseph's dim reflection and the lamp light glaring on the dark windows instead, while his partner draped his towel over the back of an old chair and dug around in his bags. What _did_ Joseph think?

"I already called in to report. Turns out our audio was live," Sebastian said and the small sounds of Joseph's rummaging stopped. Sebastian could see Joseph reflected in the window and felt his stare against his back.

"Is that so?" Joseph's voice was even but his fidgeting spoke volumes.

"Yeah. Turns out a lot of it was too loud for them to make out, though."

Joseph relaxed and Sebastian thought he might have heard him sigh before he resumed his searching.

"We'll have to be more careful next time, then."

Sebastian turned to look at Joseph directly. "Yeah, I guess so..."

Joseph must have found what he was looking for because he stood and turned back to the bed. Sebastian looked away.

"We should eat before we go tomorrow. I think that will help you deal with the alcohol, or, better yet, just drink a coke or something." Sebastian shrugged a heavy shoulder and sighed, ducking his head down to shove his fingers through his damp hair.

He closed his eyes and there was a moment of still silence where he wasn't aware of anything but breathing and the soft smell of soap. He didn't think and everything was simple and empty.

The bed creaked slightly and he could feel the mattress sink down with Joseph's weight.

"Sebastian, are you all right?" Joseph's voice was so close but Sebastian refused to open his eyes, didn't want to look at him.

"I'm fine." His answer was supposed to be blunt but his voice betrayed him and he dropped his hands from where they'd settled on his face, trying to keep everything together.

The mattress dipped closer and Sebastian nearly flinched at the warm touch of Joseph's fingers on his shoulder. He should have shrugged him off but he didn't.

Joseph hesitated, let his palm rest on cool skin and Sebastian could hear him take in a deep breath.

"About what happened tonight," Joseph chose his words carefully, "I don't want you to feel strange about it."

Sebastian frowned and opened his eyes to stare down at the worn carpet between his feet as Joseph continued.

"It was my fault we were in that situation to begin with and I really shouldn't have insisted on dancing, of all things," Joseph said and Sebastian could feel his grip tighten on his shoulder.

"You didn't do anything wrong, so quit acting like it," Sebastian growled and shook his head. "I took it too far for...whatever reason." He clenched his hands into fists, felt an odd breed of shame rise up inside of him and huffed. "I only had one drink..."

The words hung between them, a heavy statement that hinted at the reality of the situation. Sebastian had been, more or less, sober by his own standards, and yet he was the one that took it beyond what was necessary. He wasn't sure he wanted to admit why.

Joseph was quiet a moment, his grip loosened and his palm rubbed against Sebastian's shoulder.

"It was just dancing," Joseph offered though it was obvious by the sound of his voice that he knew otherwise.

Sebastian took in a deep breath, felt the timid touch of fingers on his other shoulder, and sighed when both of Joseph's palms pressed lightly against his shoulder blades. He felt them move, rubbing in cautious little circles, and it should have bothered him like it usually did when Joseph worried and nagged about his health, but...

Sebastian turned his head, glanced back but didn't quite look at Joseph who was far closer than he needed to be.

"It wasn't." The words were small, curt, and unnecessary, but Sebastian realized they were what Joseph wanted. Or maybe they were what _he_ wanted.

Joseph's hands stilled. "What was it, then?"

Sebastian twisted enough to meet Joseph's gaze, to glare at the truth they both knew but wouldn't say. He scowled at the whole thing, all of it, and turned back around.

"It was nothing." He said but his voice lacked the proper bite to end the conversation.

"Nothing, Sebastian?" Joseph's hands fell away slowly, his fingers brushing lower than they should have and Sebastian could feel Joseph's weight settle differently on the mattress. He looked out at the window hoping to see the city beyond, to get out of this room and this situation, but all he saw was their reflections. Joseph was sitting on his knees behind him, staring and waiting patiently.

"Nothing," Sebastian said. The word was barely audible and something about this situation made him feel  _vulnerable_ , if he dared use the word. Joseph's patience angered him and even if his partner's voice held the same quiet uncertainties as his own, there was something more stable about him.

Joseph went quiet and Sebastian could see him look down at his hands while he thought.

"It doesn't have to be nothing."

Sebastian closed his eyes at Joseph's quiet response. He sounded timid, confused, maybe. Hell, all of this should have them both confused.

"It does." Sebastian was slow to respond, realized it too late and made a low, frustrated sound. He sat there unmoving on the edge of the bed in the silence that followed and wondered absently how he could let this happen.

The touch of Joseph's hand startled him slightly and he tensed when Joseph leaned closer and he could smell the too-flowery hotel soap on his skin. Joseph didn't speak, didn't even look at him, and simply leaned over to set his glasses beside the lamp on the bedside table. Sebastian stared at them, watched the light glare on their lenses and felt Joseph move away. His hand left and took his warmth with it and Sebastian could hear him burrowing under the blankets on the other side of the bed.

What was this? The conversation should have been over and yet Sebastian stared at Joseph's glasses and knew that it wasn't. He reached out and ran his fingers over the smooth black frames, traced around one lens then the other, and thought about all of the times he'd slid them off Joseph's sleeping face when he passed out at his desk or saw Joseph fiddle with them out of habit. They were something small and simple but held so much meaning. Sebastian lifted his hand from the glasses and turned off the light.

It was dark despite the faint glow of the city beyond their window and Sebastian felt their shared lack of sight as he lay back beneath the cool sheets. The blankets were light and soft and hid the movement of bodies and wandering of coarse fingers that caught at their cotton prison. There was nothing to say beneath the crumbling of his resolve and the touch of cautious fingers against exposed secrets and questions lost between heartbeats. When did they get so close?

The touch was light at first, a finger running down the length of his arm, and Sebastian found it difficult to deny that which he couldn't see. This didn't have to be real to them in the morning. The hand against his arm, the silent question in the press of Joseph's fingertips, it could all dissolve like a dream if they chose but it was difficult to imagine letting go of this feeling.

Sebastian shifted, the rustling of sheets the only answer either of them would get. Warm palms touched his chest, traced each collarbone, and smoothed over his shoulders. He reached for slim hips he knew too well, heard Joseph's breath hitch and felt its moisture against his cheek. Lips missed their mark and receded into the darkness, smudged fingerprints, and voiceless conversations. Sebastian's hands missed nothing, covered every inch of Joseph's back, and his gasp was more pronounced this time when Sebastian traced each groove of his spine and the slight dip at the small of his back. Slim fingers counted Sebastian's ribs, stroked scars and squeezed when their noses bumped suddenly.

Joseph laughed and Sebastian realized he had never heard that breathy sound before. In all their years together as partners--as friends--he'd known Joseph as a damn fine detective, a groomsman, a babysitter, and one of the few people he could rely on. He'd seen so many things, knew so many different sides of this man and yet that one low sound scrambled any notion of his understanding him. He wanted to know more.

Sebastian took a deep breath, breathed in uncertainty and morals better left behind sturdy frames and under lampshades, and let them go with a low groan at the feel of Joseph's lips.

Joseph kissed him--his chin, his jaw, his cheek--before finding what he was looking for, and suddenly breathing didn't seem important.

"Seb--" Joseph gasped against his lips and there was something rough about his tone, demanding. Mouths opened, nails raked down Sebastian's back and snagged at his skin.

"Fuck." Sebastian's voice was lost behind Joseph's teeth, swallowed whole between the twining of their tongues and he couldn't think to be disappointed when he tasted toothpaste instead of cranberries.

Joseph's hands were persistent and scratched lightly at Sebastian's skin, trailing lower until they could pluck at the waistband of his pants.

Sebastian caught Joseph's lip between his teeth, felt him rock forward and slipped a leg up between Joseph's to reward the press of his hips. The sound Joseph made had Sebastian gripping at him and grinding him harder against his thigh.

"You like that?" Sebastian pulled back enough to speak but his voice dissolved into something low and ragged when Joseph ducked his head to his neck. "Christ, Joseph," he hissed between clenched teeth and tangled his fingers in Joseph's hair.

His partner was as determined and diligent as ever and only seemed to suck harder when Sebastian tugged at him. Sebastian could feel Joseph's tongue against his pulse and the pressure of his teeth when he sucked and it made it difficult to think, difficult to breathe. The wet smack of Joseph's lips after each stinging hickey had Sebastian stifling groans and wanting more than he had any right to ask for. He dropped his hand from Joseph's head, let it travel south and join the other as he gathered nice handfuls of red plaid and _squeezed_ , dragging Joseph forward until their hips met.

Joseph made a choked sound, moaned around his mouthful, and Sebastian felt his teeth pressing, digging.

"Hey!" Sebastian flinched when Joseph bit too hard and sighed irritably at the apologetic kisses that followed. Joseph shifted in his grasp, pressed eager hands up his chest and looped his arms around his neck as they rolled in the mused blankets so Sebastian could squint down at him through the darkness.

They paused a moment, panting and sticky with sweat in the suddenly too-hot hotel room, and Sebastian hummed when he felt Joseph lean up to kiss at his collarbone. He could feel Joseph's hands brushing over his body-- fine, dark hair, hot skin and muscle--and stopping just short of his pants. Joseph tilted his head up and Sebastian felt the question in his breath when it tickled at his lips. He shook his head in the darkness and lifted Joseph's hands to settle them back on his shoulders where they could rub and grip when Sebastian kissed him and pressed him back down against the mattress.

The bed made an indecent creaking sound when Sebastian straddled Joseph's legs and let his mouth wander over his chest. Joseph's skin was soft and smooth, still warm from his shower and tasting vaguely of soap and salt so that Sebastian found it difficult to stay still. He kissed at Joseph's collar, dragged his teeth down and licked at something surprisingly firm before drawing it into his mouth. Joseph gasped his name, rocked his hips up eagerly, and Sebastian hesitated.

"Mmm, Seb?" Joseph stroked at his back softly and made him huff at the idea that Joseph thought he might need comforting at a time like this.

"You want this?" Sebastian's voice was raw and sounded too loud, too harsh in the dark heat of the room. He thought he heard Joseph's breath catch and the hand on his back dropped down to his hip where it started to rub eagerly.

"Yes." Joseph sounded embarrassed to admit it, his voice small and breathless and Sebastian felt that need for more rise up again, stronger this time. He tried not to think about it.

Sebastian leaned down, kissed him softly at first while his hands fanned over Joseph's stomach and followed the thin line of hair that disappeared beneath his waistband. He pressed the heel of his palm against the front of Joseph's pants and felt the stiff heat beneath when Joseph arched up into his touch. This was so surreal, the way Joseph shuddered, the way his body moved and tensed and felt so soft beneath his fingertips despite the ridges of his hip bones and the firm muscle that tightened against his stomach when Sebastian squeezed and stroked him through the thin fabric of his pants.

Joseph groped at his shoulders, tried pulling him down closer and kissed blindly at his face until their lips met and Joseph's needy sounds vibrated on his tongue and against his teeth. He swallowed down every little noise and gasp Joseph had to offer and only stroked him harder when his partner began to squirm. Joseph's pants grew wet so that Sebastian's thumb stuck to the fabric when he rubbed and made him jerk in the sheets. He felt a bit strange when he had to peel the plaid away and tug Joseph's pants down to his thighs but he couldn't see in the darkness. He couldn't see Joseph's panting face or the bare skin he touched with rough hands, and maybe that was best since he didn't know how to react when faced with something like this. At least here, in this hazy world they'd created for the night, it didn't matter what was said or done, and when Sebastian took him in his hand and curled his fingers tight around hot, wet skin he didn't have to think about how wrong it might be. He didn't have to think about anything, really, except the way Joseph thrust into his grasp and leaned up to muffle his grunts against his shoulder.

"Wow, Joseph, you're really getting into this." Sebastian meant it to be a joke but the way Joseph groaned in response made it something else entirely.

Joseph gasped his name, gripped at his arms tightly, and Sebastian stroked faster, rubbing his palm over the head with each tug.

"That's it, Joseph..." He didn't know why he was talking but he was, breathing heavily and whispering all sorts of things he didn't want to remember.

"Jesus, Seb." Joseph rocked up into his hand and Sebastian squeezed tighter. He felt pre ooze over his knuckles and between his fingers and kept going even when Joseph's breath hitched and his body shook and all they could do was gasp and move and ride it out together. The sound Joseph made was loud, halting, and choked like he had tried too late to hold it in and, Jesus Christ, it shouldn't sound so _good._ Sebastian could feel him come, felt it on his hand and throughout Joseph's body when he convulsed and shivered, and Sebastian slowed but didn't stop.

"There you go," he murmured, kissing at his throat andfeeling the rapid beat of Joseph's pulse against his lips.

Cum stuck to his fingers and Joseph moaned, moaned for _him_ , and squeezed at Sebastian's arm to stop him.

Sebastian let him go with a wet, sticky sound and they stayed like that a while, Joseph's hand on his arm and both of them breathing roughly. He didn't know what to do with his hand, felt thick strands of cum stretching between his fingers when he spread them, so he didn't do anything with it.

"Sebastian, geez..." Joseph shook his head and Sebastian felt the sudden urge to look, to see what he'd done. He shifted on Joseph's legs, leaned toward the lamp but stopped when Joseph grabbed at him.

"No." Joseph's voice wasn't more than a whisper but Sebastian heard it well enough. He let Joseph tug him back into place. "Leave it." The stubbornness in his voice made Sebastian snort.

"Yeah, all right." He gave in easily and sat up on his knees to catch his breath while he reached out a hand to stroke Joseph's chest. He only succeeded in smearing cum across his skin before he stopped and drew his hand away.

Joseph grew quiet beneath him and he could feel hands starting to rub up his legs.

"Not finished yet?" Sebastian asked and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

"Not quite." Joseph's voice was quiet and sounded a bit more mischievous than he would have liked.

Sebastian moved as if to get up but Joseph gripped his hips to keep him still and he went along with it reluctantly. He wasn't really keen on the idea of staining his pants with Joseph's mess but the feeling of their skin touching and sticking when Joseph sat up quickly chased such useless thoughts away.

Joseph's lips ghosted over his chest, landing here and there in slow, wet kisses that had Sebastian sighing before he flinched at the sudden sharp nip of teeth.

"Fuck, watch it with the biting," he growled, but when Joseph's tongue met his skin and his teeth dragged over his collarbone Sebastian forgot all about it.

The feel of Joseph's mouth against his skin had his heart racing and Sebastian leaned his head back to offer up everything that he could. It was nearly too much for him and when Joseph sucked hard enough to bruise it sent heat gushing down through his body to pool where it counted. Sebastian let out a short, harsh sound when Joseph nipped and groaned against his skin, the sensation making him squirm and push his hips forward.

"Aww, fuck..." Sebastian buried his hand in Joseph's hair, tugging and twisting whenever Joseph struck a particularly tender spot and tried to swallow down his gasps as best he could. He'd never been particularly good at keeping quiet in these sorts of situations and his groans rumbled loudly in the small room. He could hear Joseph hum in satisfaction, could feel his hands groping at his hips and toying with the thicker hair at his waistband before dipping beneath the fabric. Sebastian tried to bite back the needy sound that bubbled up in his throat when Joseph traced out every inch of heated, throbbing skin but was far from successful.

"Shit, somehow I feel like this isn't the first time you've done this." Sebastian's voice was jagged and crumbling under the feel of Joseph's mouth closing around a nipple and he hissed slightly at the odd sensation. He couldn't help but frown when Joseph just huffed in response to his mumbles and left him wondering.

Joseph's hands shimmied Sebastian's pants down and pressed up the back of his thighs, making him grumble when he gave his ass a squeeze. Each flick of Joseph's tongue against his chest, circling a nipple and sucking at his skin had Sebastian wanting to buck and rut--had him wanting something other than a wet palm and slim fingers. He ground his teeth against his baser urges and let out a shaky breath when Joseph finally released him from his mouth with a loud pop.

They sat panting in the darkness, Joseph nosing at his neck and kissing his chin, and Sebastian stroking at the back of his neck.

"Joseph." The name left his lips so easily, his breathy voice fading away to nothing in the darkness, that Sebastian found himself wanting to say it again. He found himself wanting to tell him to get on with it already but he didn't get a chance to speak before Joseph took him in his hand. Sebastian's breath tangled in his throat and Joseph's fingers curled tight, fisted him and gave a nice slow pull.

"Is this okay, Sebastian?" Joseph whispered against his ear and Sebastian growled in embarrassment.

"Don't ask me that. Just--Just do it."

Joseph hesitated a moment and Sebastian swore he heard something akin to a chuckle but he couldn't be certain since Joseph gave him a squeeze and sent his thoughts scattering.

Sebastian grunted, felt his breath shudder and hardly had time to collect himself before Joseph started stroking him in earnest. It had been so long since someone had touched him like this and the way Joseph went at it shocked his system.

Sebastian gasped, and reached past Joseph to grip at the headboard for support.

"Fuckin _shit_ , Joseph--" Sebastian bit down on his lip and groaned through his teeth as his body rocked forward into Joseph's touch. Joseph was ruthless yet almost gentle, in a way, passionate. He wrapped both hands around him and twisted as he stroked, the wet sounds nearly drowning out Sebastian's grunts and the creak of the headboard when he adjusted his grip.

He hung his head, breathed heavily through his nose and tried to swallow a moan when Joseph squeezed tighter.

"J-Joseph--" Sebastian tensed, reached down to grab at Joseph's arm and ground his teeth. It was so much so fast and fuck; Joseph wasn't letting up and Sebastian's body flashed with heat and tension all coiling up tight, tighter.

Sebastian choked, very nearly sobbed as his hips bucked forward and everything happened at once and--holy fuck if Joseph didn't stop--

He leaned forward until he was gasping into Joseph's hair, shaking, losing everything in thick globs against Joseph's chest, and the moan Joseph gave him almost _hurt_.

When he gasped Joseph's name again it was a plea and Joseph slowed his hands, took all of the wet heat he could get and finally let him go. Sebastian groaned long and low and felt his legs shake with the effort of sinking down onto Joseph's lap. His body shivered with waves of heat that were almost painful and a low buzz that filled him with an overwhelming feeling of _yes_.

What the fuck just happened?

Sebastian turned his head into Joseph's hair, breathed deeply to try and clear his head, and gradually became aware of his hands. He loosened his grip on the headboard, peeling one finger off at a time, but didn't let go of Joseph's arm. He stroked it instead, letting his thumb run in little circles against skin he hoped wouldn't bruise, and closed his eyes when Joseph's arm circled his waist.

It was almost unnerving how right this felt, how comfortable Sebastian found himself sitting in his partner's lap and letting his usually quiet little Joseph rub at his back and whisper in his ear. He couldn't make out what he was saying but he didn't care, he found Joseph's chin in the haze and darkness and tilted his head up so he could kiss him. It was almost dizzying, the way their lips met and clung and opened--shared tongues and quiet mumbles of passionate nonsense. Sebastian felt like he could have stayed like that, with the overwhelming feeling of completion, forever if not for the prickling that started in his toes and rampaged through his legs.

When he finally moved he was reluctant, clumsy even, and he slid off of Joseph with a deep sigh. It felt good to stretch his legs and even better to lean back against the headboard but, then again, just about everything felt good at that point.

Neither of them spoke, they simply breathed, drawing in the hot musky air and letting it out in tremulous huffs. Sebastian frowned when he felt Joseph get out of bed and followed the sound of his unsteady steps to the bathroom where the light was mercilessly bright and he couldn't see what Joseph was doing. The sound of running water made it obvious, though, and he watched Joseph's shadow fidget against the carpet.

After a few moments of drawing oxygen back into his system, Sebastian realized that he should probably be embarrassed not only for what he'd done and who he'd done it with but also at his utter lack of endurance, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was just too tired and far too content for that bullshit right now.

He groped around the bedside table, nearly knocked his ashtray on the floor, and finally found the thin box of tissues he knew was there. They were less than soft and felt awful against his skin but he cleaned up nonetheless and by the time he'd finished and tucked himself away, the bathroom light flicked off and Joseph's weight settled back on the mattress.

There were a few minutes of untangling blankets and adjusting pillows before they finally settled into bed and Joseph rolled toward him. Sebastian hummed thoughtfully.

"Feelin alright?"

Joseph chuckled in the darkness. "Yeah."

"Good." Sebastian smiled to himself and didn't put up a fuss when Joseph wiggled up beside him and draped an arm over his stomach. Questions and worries tried to wiggle their way to the surface of his fuzzy thoughts but Sebastian ignored them. He ignored everything, really, and simply sighed in satisfaction and let himself doze to the soft rhythmic sound of Joseph's breathing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally intended as the first half of chapter 4 but it's taking me a long time to figure out the second half so I'll just post this as it's own chapter.

Breathing in the early morning light wrapped in musk and linen sheets, Sebastian opened his eyes to an unfamiliar place and an unexpected feeling. His heart was racing and he could feel sweat beading on his skin, but whatever nightmare had been gnawing at his sleeping brain had already dissipated into deep breaths and the unforgettable smell of smoke. He could taste it on his tongue and feel it stinging his eyes till they blurred, and he wondered briefly if he were burning. Was that their ceiling crumbling? The cracking sounds echoed in his thoughts and he tried to sit up, to shake the pall of ash from his shoulders, from his conscience, but he hardly managed to lift his head before he felt the weight against his chest.

Joseph's body was warm and still, not burning, but sleeping and curled up tight against Sebastian's sticky skin. His memories faded, crawled back into the murky crevices of his consciousness and left Sebastian sinking into the thin hotel pillows. Sobriety was unkind to him.

He took in deep breaths, felt his heartbeat settle, but couldn't rid himself of that acrid taste sticking in the back of his throat. It was doubtful that he ever would.

Moments passed in this post-panic daze and Sebastian felt the wetness on his cheeks--lazy drips that seized their opportunity in this rare absence of control to trace the contours of his face and pool in the scar at his lip. They added salt to the taste of cinders on his tongue. One of his arms was pinned beneath his sleeping partner, leaving it unable to do anything other than rub at Joseph's back, but the other was free to drag a trembling hand to his face where he scrubbed the tears away with the heel of his palm. He didn't know how long he stayed like that, closing his eyes tight beneath the hot barrier of his hand, but the cool touch of Joseph's fingers against his chest freed him of his seemingly paralyzed state.

Sebastian drew his hand away, squinting past the lingering burn of tears and the growing gray light of morning to find Joseph stirring against him. His partner slept so deeply that Sebastian might have envied him if he cared enough to, but mostly he found himself just wanting to watch.

There was something soothing about the way Joseph stretched against him, almost like a cat, and tilted his head up towards Sebastian's neck while his fingers combed through fine chest hair and settled just short of Sebastian's collar. Joseph looked so relaxed like this, so young with his mouth slightly open and his hair mussed so that it fell into his face, and Sebastian couldn't help but think--couldn't help but _feel_ , really--that Joseph belonged here. Right here, warm and close and _safe_. Not burning, sleeping.

Sebastian took in another deep breath and let it go in time with Joseph's soft huffs, finding an irrational amount of comfort in the feeling of Joseph's breath against his skin and his leg trying to wiggle in between his own. Just having him here was enough, but having him like _this_ was so much better. The realization was an easy one to come to and his smoky brain didn't bother with feelings of concern or awkwardness like it might have otherwise if he let his masculine pride get in the way of things. He accepted it. He wanted to accept it, so he did.

Sebastian shifted so he might look at Joseph more closely, careful not to disturb his snoozing partner. Joseph looked so gentle, so much softer in the gathering morning light than under the glare of fluorescent bulbs in the office, yet Sebastian could see the shallow grooves of worry-lines already forming on his unsuspecting face. He brought his hand up slowly, as if any sudden movements might ruin this precious opportunity, and brushed the back of his fingers along Joseph's brow. It was such a soothing motion, one he'd performed plenty of times with his wife and his baby girl, and one he hadn't realized he missed. He continued in a slow rhythm, leaving his touch light against Joseph's skin, and gently smoothed the fine wrinkles forming between Joseph's brows.

Was he causing these? Joseph always looked so composed and controlled, yet Sebastian knew that he worried. It was impossible for him not to recognize his partner's concern, even if Joseph went about showing it in some questionable ways. I.A. Reports aside, Joseph worked hard to support him and Sebastian realized that he was usually so busy--so wrapped up in his own self-loathing--that he hadn't bothered to notice the strain it was causing Joseph. Odd how a few little lines could teach him so much.

Sebastian sighed, letting his hand trail down to stroke at Joseph's cheek until he felt those cool fingers twitch against his chest again. He watched them a few moments, saw the twitches travel down from each fingertip in little spasms, before dropping his hand to cover Joseph's. His bare fingers were cold against Sebastian's palm and continued to twitch until Sebastian had warmed them.

Joseph had always suffered from poor circulation--or so he called it--but Sebastian rarely got to see or feel the consequence of it. He wondered if these thin fingers were always so cold or if leather gloves alone were enough to warm them. They warmed up quickly when Sebastian held them and rubbed his thumb against Joseph's palm in small circles, but he couldn't always be here to hold Joseph's hand. The thought struck him as odd and slightly unnerving but he didn't linger on it much and, instead, gently tucked Joseph's hand away beneath the blankets while he cautiously untangled himself.

The room was well-lit now and the sound of morning traffic on the streets below started to encroach on their cozy haven so that Sebastian decided it was best he detach himself before Joseph woke. He wasn't sure he could face him properly, not right away, and not like this; not with so many feelings and so many uncertainties and a job to do and--

He let his thoughts settle with a few deep breaths and gradually wiggled his way out from beneath the blankets. Joseph groaned at the sudden change and Sebastian felt a moment of guilt when he saw his partner frown and squirm in search of a new comfort to replace that which he had lost. It took a few moments before Joseph finally settled--a small mound mostly hidden beneath the blankets--and Sebastian was satisfied that he wouldn't be missed. He found his cigarettes on the nightstand and took them and his nearly overflowing ashtray into the bathroom with him. He would just have to trade one sort of sanctuary for another. Where he had found honest comfort with Joseph, he would have to settle for a chemical substitute with his Marlboros and the harsh bathroom lights.

The soft click of his lighter seemed distant and the smoke in his lungs was so familiar that he wondered why he looked to it for comfort when it hurt him so deeply in his dreams. He'd kicked the habit when he learned Myra was pregnant. He'd been smoke-free throughout Lily's short--too-short, far too-short--childhood but picked the habit back up after his daughter's death. Myra had been upset about his lapse--upset about any number of things she had every right to be upset over--but not quite disgusted. He almost wished she had been disgusted, though. Maybe things would have been different if he'd realized how badly it tasted-- the guilt mixed with whiskey and ash. Maybe he could have spent more time saving her and less time losing himself.

The thoughts started to fall one after the other like they usually did, growing heavier and striking harder until Sebastian's throat felt tight and he felt the sharp, biting _need_ for distraction. Instead of whiskey he had work and that had always proved the better option anyway, though this job was turning into something entirely different than an undercover operation. It was evolving too quickly and only added weight to the dizzying downpour beneath his skull. He didn't know how long he could handle this.

Abandoning his cigarette in the ashtray, Sebastian stepped to the shower and cranked it on as hot as it would go. It wasn't long before steam began to billow up and over the foggy glass panes of the shower door and Sebastian sat down on the lid of the toilet where the damp heat could swallow him whole and the steady drum of water could drown his thoughts. He hadn't been this wound up in a long time, hadn't allowed himself to be sober long enough to get this bad, and the thought of being on edge, of being vulnerable during such a touchy operation was worrisome. He took up his cigarette and decided to forget about everything, all of it, to just wipe his mind clean and search for some semblance of composure. He had to have some strength left somewhere.

He sat like that for far too long, the shower running and his cigarette burning until it nipped at his fingers and he had to snuff it out, and at some point he wasn't sure if he was even awake. The hot steam faded and chilled yet the water droned on and he counted the tiles on the floor, recounted, until he found that empty shadow of peace that came with utter avoidance.

A phone ringing in the other room disturbed the delicate balance. Sebastian didn't recognize the sharp trilling as a phone at first, and might not have if Joseph's voice hadn't answered it. His partner's voice was muffled yet something about it was freeing, energizing. It was time for Sebastian to wake up and let the dust settle on his worries for the day.

The shower was turned off and the sink turned on, and it wasn't until Sebastian had splashed water on his face that he noticed the marks. Getting a good look at himself in the wide mirrors over the bathroom counter he felt a certain dose of shock and mild irritation at the dark bruises sprinkled here and there on his skin, and the tender grooves left by Joseph's teeth glared at him with a certain thrilling triumph. Sebastian traced over the bite mark gingerly, the skin red and sore, and tried his best not to read too much into it. He wouldn't count the hickeys and wouldn't search for scratches--didn't want to know to what extent Joseph had marked him. _Marked_ him, of all things. The thought brought heat to his face though whether it was from shame or something else entirely he didn't know, and he splashed water over his neck as if he might be able to wash it all away.

By the time he'd found his still damp towel from the night before and let it rest around his neck--perhaps in some frail attempt at hiding the worst of the hickeys--Joseph's voice had quieted. Opening the bathroom door, Sebastian was met with bright sunlight and the soft, rapid clicking of keys on a keyboard. He didn't stray far from the doorway, leaning his shoulder against the wall and staring at Joseph who sat as straight and proper as ever at the small hotel desk, typing away at his laptop. The sunlight from the window dazzled Sebastian's eyes and made him squint, leaving Joseph a hazy shadow against the light. He must have made some sort of noise because the typing stopped and Sebastian could hear the chair creak slightly when Joseph turned to look at him.

"Good morning." Joseph's voice was as calm and business-like as ever and something about that made Sebastian relax a little.

He grunted in response and pushed away from the wall to shuffle across the room to his discarded bag near the windows. He didn't look at Joseph when he passed but he could feel him staring. It felt like Joseph might say something, like he wanted to comment on how long Sebastian was tucked away in the bathroom, or maybe even on the night before, but he didn't. He stayed quiet, hesitated as Sebastian crouched and dug around for a shirt and the sunlight warmed his skin.

"Marlo called," Joseph said and it was nice to hear him sound so normal. "It appears he has plans for us this evening at some place called ‘The Lounge’."

Sebastian found an old shirt among his finer, new clothes and discarded his towel in favor of pulling it on over his head. The pale fabric was probably too thick for the warmer weather but he didn't care, favoring the few buttons near the neck that could hide the majority of the damage from the night before. He knew he looked a mess, standing near the windows in pajama pants and rolling up his sleeves, and answered Joseph without looking at him.

"Yeah? Seems a bit early for them to be calling," he said and turned to try and spot the small red numbers of the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was nearly 10:30 Am. "Oh, Jesus." He frowned at the realization that he must have hidden in the bathroom far longer than he had intended or ever expected to. "Well, I've never heard of the place, anyway. Sounds a little too high-class to be a club." Sebastian could feel Joseph's stare and turned to meet it this time. Joseph looked a little pensive but didn't show any further signs of judgement on Sebastian's behavior and he appreciated it.

"Me either. He said it was near the corner of Cooper and Hillcrest out by the 7th Avenue strip."

Sebastian made a low sound of displeasure and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Not exactly a part of town where you'd find anything respectable," he said and stepped over to the desk when Joseph turned back to his laptop. "Lots of seedy places out that way."

"I hope that conclusion doesn't stem from experience," Joseph muttered as he resumed typing and Sebastian rested a hand on the back of his chair. Sebastian glared down at him in time to catch the slightest smile that tugged at the corner of Joseph's mouth.

"You know I don't drink in town," Sebastian responded dryly and leaned forward to press his other hand on the desk and get a better look at the screen. "You looking it up now?"

"Yes, but it doesn't look like it's a legitimate establishment, or it's not very public, at least." Joseph returned his attention to the screen and Sebastian found himself watching his fingers work at the keys. They were so fast and thin and he wondered how Joseph could type with gloves on because it seemed like the thick leather would get in the way of such an elegant process. He only looked up when Joseph's hands stilled.

"No Yelp reviews then?" Sebastian offered and narrowed his eyes at the various web pages and chat rooms Joseph was scrolling through in multiple windows. Joseph was able to process so much so quickly that Sebastian found himself wondering why he had ever left the bomb squad. Joseph said it hadn't been his plan, that one circumstance led to another and it just sort of happened, but it seemed odd that he would go through with it when it was obvious these sorts of technical things and all of that detailed hands-on work was right up his alley. Plus, something about the mental image of those fingers working with something as delicate and precise as a bomb was oddly exciting.

Sebastian had to take a deep breath to wash the images, and that silly flutter in his stomach, away before he picked up on the fact that he'd missed Joseph's initial response and his partner was still speaking.

"I'm not finding much, but this is a very rudimentary search. From what I can see, The Lounge is only mentioned in passing and rarely at that," Joseph said and the various pages stilled on the screen.

"Right, so it’s definitely underground, then," Sebastian muttered, looking from the screen down to Joseph's unmoving hands in the silence that followed. He turned his head to look at Joseph, having leaned down close over his partner’s shoulder so their noses nearly touched when they faced each other.

"What?" Sebastian's voice came slowly, welling up in that peculiar silence he was starting to recognize as being charged with some sort of tension he didn't quite mind, but didn't know how to handle. He glanced fleetingly at Joseph's lips before looking up to find Joseph staring elsewhere. Sebastian drew in a quick breath that caught Joseph's attention and dragged it away from his throat where a few dark marks peeked out from beneath the collar of his shirt. Joseph met his gaze evenly and the fire in his eyes was a rare sight, as was the color that touched his ears but didn't quite reach his face.

"We'll have to be careful," Joseph said, carrying on as if the conversation hadn't stopped though he didn't look away. "There's bound to be plenty of illegal activities, the least of which being the sale of alcohol without a license."

Sebastian held Joseph's stare as long as he could manage, the strength of it making his breath do odd things in his lungs and his heartbeat pick up a few paces. He didn't see this side of Joseph often and when he did it was usually after his partner had had a beer or two among friends. He was a very expressive and honest drunk, at least when he wasn't dancing, it seemed. But he was sober now, they both were, and this amount of expression was odd and _exhilarating._

Sebastian was the first to look away and recognized his mistake as soon as he did. Looking at Joseph's lips was his first bad idea and, arguably his second was looking away when Joseph leaned just that little bit closer.

He straightened suddenly, lifting his hand from the desk to rub at his throat and staring pointedly at the laptop's screen.

"Right. We'll have to keep our eyes open then," Sebastian said.

Joseph didn't look up at him, instead staring past where Sebastian had been moments before and out the window. Something about the way his expression settled, how it relaxed into that cool mask Joseph always wore bother Sebastian somehow. He wanted that fire back even when he knew he shouldn't.

"Did they record Marlo's call?" Sebastian still hovered behind Joseph's chair, didn't know where else to go, and felt his ego trying to swallow up the pesky feelings roiling in his chest.

"Of course." Joseph's voice was even but brisker than before and Sebastian frowned. "I called in to report anyway, to be safe, and they are arranging for backup units in case we need them. If we're going into a potential drug den, it's wise to have the added support," Joseph tacked on the explanation quickly, obviously anticipating Sebastian's grumblings about not needing help on such a simple operation. His hands went back to typing and Sebastian eventually went to sit on the bed where he could watch from a safe distance. There was that silence, but a little heavier this time, a bit frustrated. Distracting. He rubbed at his throat again and tenderly brushed the swollen bite mark Joseph had given him.

"Let's go out." Sebastian's voice was sudden and seemed to startle them both.

Joseph cast him a questioning and rather uncertain glance--something cautious, Sebastian realized--and fiddled with his glasses a little.

"Go out?"

"For breakfast, I mean. Or coffee at least. God knows I could use it." Sebastian huffed and shoved a hand through his hair. Joseph relaxed and that little smile made an appearance again.

"Okay. I think I could use a little late breakfast, actually." Joseph looked contemplative a moment as he got out of his chair and went about gathering clothes to get dressed. "I think it's best to dress our parts when we leave, even if it is just for breakfast."

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Sebastian said and tugged at the neck of his shirt. He stared at his bag, trying to figure out what he could wear that would cover him enough without being too terribly uncomfortable and started slightly when Joseph dropped his clothes on the bed beside him. Sebastian eyed the dark pants and found himself hoping they weren't as snug as the ones from yesterday.

"Are you feeling alright, Sebastian?"

Sebastian frowned at the question and narrowed his eyes at Joseph defensively.

"Why do you ask?"

The pale blue of Joseph's shirt looked good against his skin and Sebastian was momentarily distracted by the pearlescent buttons so that Joseph's look of concern caught him off guard.

"You just look a little pale this morning." Joseph shrugged his shirt on and paused before working on the buttons. “If you want to rest a little more I can go out and get us some coffee--”

“Nah, Joseph, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.” Sebastian waved off Joseph’s suggestion irritably and got up again to avoid any further conversation. “Just get dressed and we’ll go eat.” Sebastian turned his back on his partner as he dragged his bag away from the window and pulled out whatever clothes he found first. He didn’t really care what he looked like at this point, had far too many other things weighing down his thoughts that worrying about what color his shirt was or whatever just didn’t seem worthwhile.

“Alright, Seb, that’s fine,” Joseph said and Sebastian was glad that was settled at least.

“Now, where do you want to go?”

Sebastian couldn’t help but huff in amusement, knowing that Joseph was just poking at him this time. Trying to win a reaction from his gentle nagging.

“You know what, Joseph? I actually know exactly where we’re going so don’t worry about it.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Sebastian could hear the amusement in Joseph’s voice now and was relieved. Nothing had changed and nothing would change. They were the same people, the same friends, and nothing was going to convince Sebastian otherwise.


End file.
